Dawn Staley Kicks Off Summer Camp Season with Nostalgic Jerseys

Dawn Staley recently took to Instagram to showcase the new jerseys for her summer basketball training camp, set to take place this season. The Dawn Staley Basketball Academy, hosted at the University of South Carolina, has been a staple since its inception in 2009.

The jerseys, designed to commemorate the 2026 edition of the camp, feature images from Staley's time in the WNBA, accompanied by the slogan “Run-it-back.” In her post, she expressed her excitement, stating, “Camp season 2026 edition underway. Camp ts 🔥🫣🥰 if I do say so myself!!” The post also highlighted various participants, both boys and girls, engaged in drills during the camp's opening days.

In addition to celebrating the camp, Staley has successfully retained her team for the upcoming 2026-27 season, a notable feat amid the current landscape of name, image, and likeness (NIL) deals and the transfer portal. Despite losing several key players to the WNBA and graduation, her roster remains largely intact.

Reflecting on this achievement, Staley shared insights with The State, a Columbia, South Carolina newspaper, attributing the team's stability to a strong culture that keeps players and their families content. “I think culturally speaking, our kids are happy,” she noted. “Their parents are happy. When you’re in a situation where maybe everything isn’t 100% as you visualized... it makes it a little bit easy to stay where you know what’s happening.”

Under Staley's leadership, the Gamecocks have thrived, clinching three national championships and reaching the Final Four each year since 2020-21. Their success has garnered interest from professional teams, including the Dallas Mavericks, who view Staley as a potential candidate for their coaching vacancy.